Heritage Tourism and Sustainability.sav

This study explores the interactive role of message framing and construal level theory (CLT) in shaping pro-sustainable behavioral intentions in heritage tourism. Drawing on CLT, we examine how psychological distance influences mental construal, affecting potential tourists’ responses to sustainability messaging. Using a 2 × 2 experimental design (gain vs. loss framing × proximal vs. distant construal), we investigate the effectiveness of different message combinations in promoting sustainable behaviors among university students in a heritage tourism context. Our findings reveal that loss-framed messages with proximal construal and gain-framed messages with distant construal are most effective in fostering pro-sustainable behavior intentions. Furthermore, we identify sense of responsibility as a key mediator in this relationship and nostalgia proneness as a moderator, amplifying the emotional impact of sustainability messages through the mediator. These results offer theoretical contributions to message framing and CLT literature while providing practical insights for heritage site managers and policymakers to enhance sustainable tourism practices through tailored communication strategies.